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Struggling Ross could sharpen up at Triple-A

Struggling Ross could sharpen up at Triple-A

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Ross' stellar sixth 0:49

6/20/13: Robbie Ross enters with the bases loaded and nobody out and records a pair of strikeouts and a popup to keep the Rangers within 1

By T.R. Sullivan
/
MLB.com |

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers have to make a roster move on Tuesday to make room for pitcher Travis Blackley. The most logical move would be to place pitcher Alexi Ogando on the disabled list. The other option would be to send struggling left-handed reliever Robbie Ross to Triple-A Round Rock.

Ross would be recalled on Sept. 1, but sending him down for the rest of August would allow him to work on some things at Round Rock. Ross has a 6.55 ERA in his last 13 games since the beginning of July. He had a 0.37 ERA over the first two months of the season.

"The stuff is there, the issue is he's not executing his pitches," manager Ron Washington said. "His velocity is there but when he wants to go inside, he's not getting in there. When he wants to go outside, he's not getting it there. He's leaving it over the plate and they're not missing it."

Most disconcerting are left-handed hitters. They have 14 hits in their last 29 at-bats against Ross, including three home runs.

"It's frustrating, those are the guys I have to get out," Ross said. "I'm not getting them out consistently, that's the way it goes sometimes. I have to battle through it."

Ross had to deal with fatigue through the second half of last season and spent the first two weeks of September on the disabled list. He said that's not the case this season.